Device in a water tap



July 26, 1966 A. G. GILLBERG 3,252,465

DEVICE IN A WATER TAP Filed April 27, 1964 A 38 ll 35 L LO 9 United States Patent DEVICE IN A WATER TAP Arne Gunnar Gillberg, Herserudsvagen 14, Lidingo, Sweden Filed Apr. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 362,573 Claims priority, application Sweden, Apr. 26, 1963,

12 Claims. (Cl. 137-3292) The present invention concerns a device in a water tap comprising a safety valve arranged at the input of the tap casing in front of the tap valve proper, said safety valve being in open position when the tap is assembled, but blocking the water flow when the tap is disassembled.

In water taps of the conventional type the maintenance and replacement of the packings is an expensive and timetaking work, as a leaking packing cannot be removed and replaced before the water supply in the water pipes has been out off. The cutting-off of the water supply also has the disadvantage that all other taps in the water supply system get no water. Earlier devices to set aside the above disadvantages are known. In principle, this can be achieved by placing a safety valve in the tap casing between the inlet opening of same and the seat of the tap valve, said safety valve being kept open by the tap valve spindle but blocking the through flow when said spindle is completely turned open. However, when this is undertaken the water output through the tap spout reaches its maximum and thereafter diminishes successively until the safety valve reaches its blocking posiber in order so to hold said safety valve member at a distance from its seat, which distance does not change by the operation of the tap valve member, said safety valve member, however, being pressed against its seat under the influence of a small water flow when said cen-' tral spindle is axially moved at the dismantling of the tap.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be obvious from the following description under reference to the accompanying drawing showing an axial section through a water tap constructed according to the invention.

The water tap according to the invention comprises in known manner a tap casing 1 with a hollow space 13, a spout 14 and an inlet connection 15. A bush 4 is screwed into the hollow space 113 of said tap casing 1 by aid of threads 26 so that said bush abuts against a bottom seat 116 of said space 1 3 over a packing 3 surrounding the water inlet.

The bush 54 comprises a lower valve chamber 17 for a safety valve member 2 and an upper valve chamber 18 for a tap valve member 7 provided with a valve packing 5. Over an opening 20 the lower valve chamber 17 communicates with the inlet connection 15 and the top end thereof is defined by an annular shoulder 19, the bottom surface of which forms the valve seating for the safety valve member 2, the latter being arranged in said valve chamber 17 for movement axially thereof and said valve packing preventing it from falling down into the inlet connection 15 of the tap casing. The safety valve member 2 is preferably formed as a plane disc 22 with a central, downwards extending projection 23 which is provided with a central recess. The intention of this form "ice of the safety valve member will be obvious from the following. The top surface of said disc 22 is intended to be brought into contact with the valve seat 21 and to seal against same under the influence of the water pressure.

The lower end of the upper valve chamber 18 is defined by the annular shoulder 19, the top surface 24 of which forms a seat for the valve packing 5. Immediately above said seat 24 the wall of the bush 4 is provided with a number of borings 25 opening into the hollow space 13 of the tap casing 1 and forming through flow passages for the Water to the spout 14, when the valve packing 5 is lifted from its seat 24.

The bush 4- which in its bottom end surface is provided with an annular recess to hold the packing 3 after the safety valve member 2 has been inserted into the valve chamber 17, is provided with an outer thread at its top part, which thread cooperates with the internal thread 26 in the tap casing 1, the bushing being tightened by aid of a wrench engaging two parallel surfaces 27 in the bush. The top part of said bush 4 is provided with a hole 28 with non-circular, for instance hexagonal, crosssection and below same a cylindrical hole 29 reaching down to said shoulder 19.

The tap valve member 7 is provided with a top part of non-circular, preferably hexagonal, cross-section adapted for axial sliding movement in the hexagonal hole 28 of the bush 4 and a lower externally cylindrical part adapted for axial sliding movement in the cylindrical hole 29 of the bush 4. Internally the top part of the tap valve member 7 is provided with a thread 30, preferably a left-hand thread, and the bottom part thereof is provided with a somewhat overlarge boring 31 for the central spindle 12.

The valve packing 5 which is preferably manufactured of nylon has a plane bottom surface for sealing contact with the seat 24 and an upper annular neck 32, the thickness of the top edge 33 of which being increased both externally and internally of same. Said edge 33 with increased thickness is utilized as a seal between the cylindrical hole 29 of the bush 4 and the tap valve member 7 and to retain said tap valve packing 5 in its position around said tap valve member 7 in that the internal part of said edge 33 fits into a groove in said tap valve member 7. The valve packing 5 is provided with an internal space for mounting an O-ring 6 and below same a somewhat overlarge boring 34 for the central spindle 12. Said O-ring 6 serves as a seal between said valve packing 5 and said central spindle 12.

The lower part of a screw member 8 is provided with an external thread, preferably a left-hand thread, cooperating with the thread 30 of the tap valve member 7. There is a groove 35 for a U-shaped washer 9. The upper part 36 of the screw member 8 is non-circular, preferably hexagonal. Internally the screw member is provided with a thread 37 with an unthreaded midportion 38.

The tap cap 10 which with the aid of a coin applied in a groove 39 can be screwed on to the threaded part of the bush 4 protruding above the upper end of the tap casing 1, holds the U-shaped washer 9 between an internal shoulder 40 in the tap cap 10 and the upper edge of the bush.

The tap handle 11 is provided with a downwardly extending cylindrical extension which is free to rotate in a hole in the tap cap 10 and in its lower part comprises ,a non-circular, preferably hexagonal, recess which fits over the upper hexagonal part 36 of said screw member and serves to turn said screw member 8 when said handle 11 is rotated.

The central spindle 12 comprises a head 41 with a groove 42 for a coin, a cylindrical part 43 freely turnable in said handle 11, a screw-threaded part 44 divided into an upper and a lower portion with an intermediate portion turned down to a diameter somewhat less than '3 the core diameter of said threaded part 44, a cylindrical part 45 with a diameter a little below said core diameter and a cylindrical part 46 with a lesser diameter than the last-mentioned cylindrical part 45 and freely fitting into the central hole of the safety valve member 2. The length of the central spindle 12 is such that it holds the safety valve member 2 at a distance from its seat and allows free passage for the water around said member.

The figure shows the tap in its position with blocked through flow, that is, the valve packing 5 sealingly engaging the seat 24 in the bush 4 and the O-ring preventing water to escape centrally through the valve member. The handle 11 and the screw member 8 form a unit due to the fact that the central spindle 12 threaded into the screw member 8 retains the handle 11 with the hexagonal part 36 in the recess in the handle. The U-shaped washer 9 prevents the unit formed by said handle, said screw member 8 and said central spindle 12 to move axially but allows turning of same. If the handle 11 is turned counterclockwise, the tap valve member 7 together with the valve packing 5 will move axially upwards on account of the left-hand threads 30 of the screw member 8 and the tap valve member 7. Hereby the opening 25 of the bush 4 is uncovered to allow water freely to flow out through the spout 14 of the tap casing 1. The water can neither flow past the O-ring 6 nor up to the outside of the tap packing 5 on account of the annular neck 32 and the edge 33 thereof with increased thickness, which sealingly engages the cylindrical hole 29 of the bush 4.

When the valve packing 5 seals unsatisfactorily on account of wear or for other reasons and therefore must be replaced by a new one, the procedure is as follows:

With the tap in close condition, the central spindle 12 is screwed upwardly with the aid of a coin applied in the groove 42. When said central spindle has been lifted so far that the upper and lower threaded portions 44 of the spindle 12 simultaneously disengage the lower and upper threaded portions of the screw member 8, respectively, the shoulder formed between the cylindrical parts and 46 of the spindle 12 is positioned immediately below the contact area between said cylindrical part 45 and the O-ring 6. Due to the pressure of the water from below against the central spindle 12 the latter will move axially upwards so much that the upper surface of the lower threaded portion 44 of same meets the bottom surface of the upper threaded portion 37 of the screw member 8. During this movement the shoulder between the cylindrical parts 45 and 46 of the central spindle 12 passes the O-ring 6 and water flows up between said O-ring 6 and the cylindrical part 46 of the central spindle 12. The safety valve member 2 which preferably is made of nylon with a specific weight a little higher than water, will be pressed axially upwards by the thus produced stream of water to engage the lower seat 21 of the bush 4 under guidance by the cylindrical part 46 of the central spindle 12 when said shoulder of the spindle moves above the O-ring. This occurs so fast that the water has no time to reach the top edge of the tap cap 10. When the safety valve member slides up to engagement a sound can be heard. Thereafter the central spindle 12 can safely be screwed out, that is, the lower threaded portion of the spindle be brought out of engagement with the upper threaded portion of the screw member 8, the handle be removed, the tap cap be unscrewed by aid of a coin, the screw member 8 be lifted out together with the tap valve member '7, the valve packing 5 be removed and replaced with a new one, after which all the above mentioned elements can be reassembled in reversed order. The whole procedure to exchange the valve packing only requires a short time. I

If the safety valve member 2 for some reason should not function, the above mentioned sound will not be heard at the partial unscrewing of the central spindle and the water will violently stream out over the top edge of the tap cap 10. This serves as a warning and the dismantling must not be completed until the water supply has been blocked.

If desired, the tap can'be opened so that a little water flows out of the spout 14 when the valve packing 5 is to be changed. When the central spindle thereafter is screwed out, a sound is heard as before, whereaf'ter the small stream of water out of the spout immediately ceases and the dismantling can be continued without risk.

The exchange of valve packing is performed without the aid of any other tool than a coin.

The now described embodiment of the invention is only given as an example and many possible modifications of the tap can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, the central spindle can be locked in assembled position by other means than threads, for instance by a clip ring or by a cap placed over its top end and the interruption of the axial movement of the spindle can also be accomplished by other means than those described, for instance by a flange on the spindle contacting an abutment in the tap.

What is claimed is:

1. Device in a water tap which can be mounted in an arbitrary position and comprises a safety valve positioned at the inlet of the tap in front of the tap valve proper, said safety valve being open when the tap is in assembled condition, but blocking the water flow of the tap when same is disassembled, characterized in that a central spindle which also can be adapted to connect the handle of the tap with other elements of the tap mechanism in fully inserted position, extends through the tap mechanism and sealingly but axially movably passes through the tap valve member in order so to hold the safety valve member at a distance from its seat that said distance does not change by the operation of the tap valve member, said safety valve member, however, being pressed against its seat under the influence of a small water flow when said central spindle is axially moved at the dismantling of said tap.

2. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized by a bush screwed into the tap casing, the tower part of said bush containing a lower valve chamber for the safety valve member and an upper valve chamber for said tap valve member.

3. Device as claimed in claim 2, characterized by an annular flange within said bush between said two valve chambers, the opposite end surfaces of said flange serving as seats for said safety valve member and said tap valve member, respectively.

4. Device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that said tap valve member is non-rotatably but axially movably guided in said bush and over threads meshes with a screw member, said screw member being axially fixed but turnable with the aid of the tap handle.

5. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said central spindle is sealed relatively to the tap valve member by aid of a packing ring and in fully inserted position with its outer end extends past said annular flange to engagement with the safety valve member.

6. Device as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the axial movement of said central spindle is adapted temporarily to be interrupted in such a position relatively to said tap valve member that a shoulder of said central spindle at a transition to an end part of same with smaller diameter is positioned a short distance above the packing ring between said spindle and said tap valve member so that a small water flow takes place between said tap valve member and said end portion.

7. Device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that said central spindle with clearance extends through said tap handle and over threads engages said screw member, both the internal threads of said screw member and the external threads of said spindle by an unthreaded portion being divided into an upper and a lower threaded portion, so that said central spindle is free for axial displacement when said upper threaded portions and said lower threaded portions simultaneously become disengaged.

8. Device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the length of said central spindle extending downwardly of said annular flange is so adapted that said safety valve member engages its valve seat just before the free axial displacement of said central spindle is interrupted by engagement between the lower threaded portion of said spindle and the upper threaded portion of said screw member.

9. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said safety valve member comprises a circular disc with an axial projection provided with an axial boring through said disc into said projection, said boring serving slidably to receive said end part of said spindle in order to guide said safety valve member.

10. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said tap valve member in its end facing the seat is provided with a packing disc.

11. Device as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 802,490 10/1905 Bashlin 137329.1

1,123,801 1/1915 Robinson 137-3292 1,614,079 1/1927 Meyer et al 137--329.2

WILLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner.

D. MATTHEWS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. DEVICE IN A WATER TAP WHICH CAN BE MOUNTED IN AN ARBITRARY POSITION AND COMPRISES A SAFETY VALVE POSITIONED AT THE INLET OF THE TAP IN FRONT OF THE TAP VALVE PROPER, SAID SAFETY VALVE BEING OPEN WHEN THE TAP IS IN ASSEMBLED CONDITION, BUT BLOCKING THE WATER FLOW OF THE TAP WHEN SAME IS DISASSEMBLED, CHARACTERIZED IN THAT A CENTRAL SPINDLE WHIC ALSO CAN BE ADAPTED TO CONNECT THE HANDLE OF THE TAP WITH OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE TAP MECHANISM IN FULLY INSERTED POSITION, EXTENDS THROUGH THE TAP MECHANISM AND SEALINGLY BUT AXIALLY MOVABLY PASSES THROUGH THE TAP VALVE MEMBER IN ORDER SO TO HOLD THE SAFETY VALVE MEMBER AT A DISTANCE FROM ITS SEAT THAT SAID DISTANCE DOES NOT CHANGE BY THE OPERATION OF THE TAP VALVE MEMBER, SAID SAFETY 